


The First Christmas After

by LadyDarkPhoenix (Phoenixfire)



Series: The Truth About Tony [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Holidays, Parental Death, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-06 00:01:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16821100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenixfire/pseuds/LadyDarkPhoenix
Summary: Peggy and Angie comfort Tony during the first Christmas after Howard and Maria's deaths.





	The First Christmas After

Peggy rushed out to Malibu as soon as she'd heard of Howard and Maria's deaths, her partner Angie coming with her. He needed family around him, especially around the holidays, and even though she'd given up all rights to call him her own when he was born she still considered him her son and would be damned if he had to go through this alone.

“Director Carter, how nice to see you,” Obadiah Stane greeted them at the door. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

“I'm here to see Tony,” Peggy firmly stated pushing past him.

“He's indisposed at the moment, but I'll tell him you stopped by.”

Angie glared at the man. “We've come to see after his well being and spend the holidays with him if he wants us to.”

“I've got him under control, nothing you ladies need to concern yourselves about. I'll take good care of him,” Stane assured as he tried to herd them out the door.

“Aunt Peggy…” Tony's unsure voice came from the staircase. “She's gone… my mom…,” his voice broke as Peggy rushed to take him into her arms.

“Shhh my darling, I know,” Peggy held him as he cried. As much at it pained her to hear him call Maria his mother, he couldn't know the truth that it was his mother that held him now.

“What am I going to do?”

“You're going to let your Aunt Angie and I spend Christmas with you so you're not alone and we'll help you figure out what to do from there,” she told him, her heart breaking from his pain.

“Or you could do what you've been doing and keep working to help keep your mind off it,” Stane spoke up. “Nothing like hard work for that. Besides Carter, I'm the boy's guardian, not you.”

Angie walked up to the man, fists clenched in anger. “It would be in your best interest to let us stay. He just lost so much, what harm will a few more people that care about him do?”

Stane ground his teeth as he plastered a polite smile on his face. “I'm sure you have busy schedules.”

“Nothing that can't be put off,” Angie replied with a fake smile of her own.

“Unless you want a fight for your place in Howard's company, you will let us stay until New Year's and not say a word more about it,” Peggy threatened.

“Please let them stay,” Tony quietly pleaded from his place in Peggy's arms. “I'll keep working but let them stay…”

Seeing he was outnumbered, Stane threw his hands up in defeat. “Alright kiddo, have it your way. Your deadlines still need to be met but do whatever you want.”

“How generous of you,” Angie said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

“I'll see you later Tony,” Stane walked out the door leaving the three of them alone.

Shutting the door behind him, Angie turned around to face the others. “I think I'm going to make us some hot cocoa. Why don't you two settle down, find something for us to watch and we'll just try to relax for a while.”

Peggy led Tony to sit on the couch, leaving him momentarily to retrieve a large blanket from a cupboard before sitting with him, throwing the warm cloth over them both. “What do you want to watch?”

Tony settled against her, flipping to a station showing old holiday classic claymation specials. “Dad never did this with me, thought it was childish. Mom would try but she was so busy it was a rare treat when we could do it while I was home as a kid. It still doesn't seem real they're gone. It feels like any moment they're going to walk through the door fighting about what a screw up I am and I'll mouth off like I've always done and nothing will have changed. But I know it's never going to happen,” he sniffled back more tears that threatened to fall.

“Tony, you're not a screw up,” Peggy assured him, “I know for a fact your mother never thought that. Your father was a hard man to please, even I had a hard time staying in his good graces. You're a brilliant young man, I have faith you'll find your place in the world someday.”

Angie returned with a tray of steaming mugs, setting it down on the coffee table before taking the spot on the other side of Tony, joining them under the blanket to surround him with comforting touch.

“You guys really don't have to stay, I'll be fine on my own,” Tony said quietly after a while. He'd been enjoying the quiet comfort of the women, grateful for their presence but didn't want to look weak by admitting he needed them to stay.

“Nonsense, we want to be here,” Angie assured him, “we love you like you're our own.”

“You do?” the question in his voice breaking the women's hearts. What had happened that made him question people genuinely cared about him?

“Always darling,” Peggy assured as she held him tightly.

They did little things over the next week spent with Tony to let him know he was still loved. Angie baked cookies and had him laughing as she frosted his nose when he offered to help. Peggy gently scolded him when he tried to sneak a peek at the gifts she'd brought home one day. They held him on Christmas Day as he opened the presents his parents had gotten him and welcomed Rhodey for New Year's as the four of them had a little party.

Even though Tony was still struggling when they had to leave, he made them a promise that he would call them whenever he needed someone to talk to. It still felt strange to have people besides Rhodey on his side, but Tony never would forget what they did for him that year.


End file.
